As of the end of July, over 40 members of the Renewable Generators’ Consortium (RGC) had signed contracts to supply collectively 120 MWe in the open market after 1 January, 1999.
It marks the generators move out of the protected market, from which they had previously benefitted under the first and second rounds of the UK Government’s Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) policy, which was enacted in 1989, to promote renewable technologies. The technologies include hydro, landfill gas, wind, waste, and chicken litter incineration. NFFO-1 and NFFO-2 contracts end on 31 December, 1998, after which date, generators must sell their electricity in the open market.
RGC has obtained prices for renewable generators which include a renewable premium. Nearly all the contracts signed so far are with three main electricity suppliers: PowerGen, Yorkshire and Southern.
RGC believes that a significant proportion of its remaining members will sign contracts before the end of the year. RGC has 116 members, representing 312 MWe of renewable capacity. RGC expects seven suppliers to offer some form of green tariff to customers after 1998.